Deployable navigation beacons

ABSTRACT

Deployable navigation beacons can be deployed from a vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), in an event of a loss of position or orientation of the vehicle. After deployment of the navigation beacons, the vehicle may detect locations of the navigation beacon, which may define a surface that may include surface features. The vehicle may then perform control operations based on the resolved locations. For example, UAV may maneuver to land proximate to the navigation beacons after resolving locations of the navigation beacons as a continuous surface. The navigation beacons may output a visual signal (e.g., a light), a auditory signal (e.g., a sound), and/or a radio signal. In some embodiments, each navigation beacon may include a different or unique signal.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of, and claims priority to,co-pending, commonly-owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/960,231filed on Apr. 23, 2018, which is incorporated herein in its entirety byreference.

BACKGROUND

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are used for a variety of tasks,spanning from recreational activities to commercial operations. Someentities have begun to use UAVs to deliver items to customers. UAVspresent many benefits in consumer delivery as they are able to quicklydeliver items directly to the customer at a desired customer locationwhile avoiding may challenges faced by traditional delivery types, suchas road congestion and human interaction.

In some instances, a UAV operating near the ground (e.g. for packagedelivery) may lose an ability to resolve its position and orientation(e.g., state estimation). Tracking position and orientation of a UAVwith high temporal precision is important for stable autonomous UAVflight. There are many reasons why sensor systems might fail to trackposition and orientation of the UAV. For example, the UAV may be flyingat night or in low light situations where light levels may not enablethe camera to capture useful imagery. The vehicle may begin oscillatingsuch that camera motion blur does not allow for useful pictures of theenvironment for visual navigation and inertial sensors might becomesaturated. Smoke or other occlusions may be present which may limit useof imagery captured by cameras. The camera or other sensors may simplystop working properly. Communication between systems and/or sensors maybe severed.

To successfully execute a flight and delivery, a UAV may be equippedwith redundant systems to enable successful outcomes in the event of amalfunction of equipment, such as a malfunction of a sensor or loss ofreliable data from a sensor. Having an active backup system whichrapidly instruments the environment with purpose built navigation queuesmay protect a UAV in the event of a failure of a sensor and/ordisruption of useful sensor data.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanyingfigures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference numberidentifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. Thesame reference numbers in different figures indicate similar oridentical items.

FIG. 1 is a pictorial flow diagram of an illustrative process to deployand locate navigation beacons from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an illustrative UAV architecture configuredwith navigation beacons.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an illustrative process to triggerdeployment of navigation beacons and navigate a UAV based on determinedlocations of the deployed navigation beacons.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an illustrative process to deploy somenavigations beacons at a time after deployment of other navigationbeacons.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an illustrative process of operation ofnavigation beacons deployed from a UAV.

FIGS. 6A-6D show front elevation views of illustrative navigationbeacons.

FIGS. 7A-7C show perspective views of illustrative UAVs havingnavigation beacons coupled to the UAVs.

FIG. 8 is a pictorial flow diagram of an illustrative process to deployadditional navigation beacons after an initial deployment of somenavigation beacons.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure is directed to use of deployable navigation beacons thatcan be deployed from a vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV), in an event of a loss of position or orientation of the vehicle,such as after a sensor system failure (e.g., Global Positioning System(GPS) failure, stereo camera failure, etc.). After deployment of thenavigation beacons, the vehicle may detect locations of the navigationbeacons about one or more surfaces (e.g., the ground, a buildingstructure, etc.). Locations of the navigation beacons may be determinedby localization and used for position and orientation tracking usingSimultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithms adapted to thedetected unique three-dimensional (3D) features or using other similaralgorithms. The vehicle may then perform control operations based on theresolved locations, which may be mapped as a surface relative to thevehicle, such as a detailed terrain. For example, UAV may maneuver toland proximate to the navigation beacons after resolving locations ofthe navigation beacons as a continuous surface.

The navigation beacons may output a visual signal (e.g., a light), aauditory signal (e.g., a sound), and/or a radio signal. In someembodiments, each navigation beacon may include a different or uniquesignal (e.g., a different wavelength or pulses of light, sound, or radiowaves), which may enable the vehicle to independently resolve a locationof each navigation beacon. For example, all navigation beacons mayoutput light, but the wavelength of light and/or pulse patterns of thelight may be different for each navigation beacon.

The navigation beacons may be deployed for a number of reasons, and inresponse to a triggering event. For example, the deployment may be inresponse to malfunction or unexpected data (or lack thereof) from aglobal positioning system (GPS), magnetometer, gyroscope, accelerometer,camera, bus connecting a sensor to a processor, and/or other devicesthat providing inputs to a vehicle controller and/or navigation system.

The vehicle and/or the navigation beacons may include devices to causethe navigation beacons to be randomly distributed about an areaproximate the vehicle, such as below an aircraft. In some embodiments,the vehicle may eject the navigation beacons to cause the beacons todisperse around the vehicle. In various embodiments, the navigationbeacons may include one or more wings or other features to cause thenavigation beacons to travel at least partially laterally away from thevehicle.

In some embodiments, the vehicle may deploy a first portion of thenavigation beacons to determine a first mapping of a surface and thenlater deploy a second portion of the navigation beacons to determine asecond mapping of the surface or a different surface. For example, a UAVmay deploy the first portion to resolve a location of the ground andthen may deploy or eject a second portion to determine locations of anyobstacles, such as adjacent buildings, trees, fences, or otherobstacles.

The techniques, apparatuses, and systems described herein may beimplemented in a number of ways. Example implementations are providedbelow with reference to the following figures.

FIG. 1 is a pictorial flow diagram of an illustrative process 100 todeploy and locate navigation beacons from an unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV) 102. However, navigation beacons may be deployed from other typesof vehicles, such as automobiles, maritime vessels, and piloted vehiclesfor similar purposes.

At 104, the UAV 102 may detect a fault that prevents the UAV fromaccurately resolving a location or orientation of the UAV 102, such aswith reference to a surface 106 (e.g., the ground, a structure, etc.).The fault may be a malfunction of a sensor or communication mechanismassociated with the sensor. The fault may a quality of data obtainedbased on environmental conditions, which prevent the sensor fromproviding useful data for the UAV 102 to resolve a position and/ororientation. For example, if the UAV relies on images from a stereocamera to resolve a position of the ground relative to the UAV, thenheavy fog, heavy rain, or possibly complete darkness may prevent the UAVfrom detecting the ground based on a type of sensor used and/or otherfactors. In this example, the sensor (e.g., the stereo camera) may beworking properly, but the received data may not be useful for the UAV102 to resolve a position and/or orientation.

At 108, the UAV 102 may deploy navigation beacons 110 from the UAV 102,such as from a repository 112 of the UAV 102. The repository may be acargo hold (bay), locations external to a fuselage or body of the UAV,locations proximate to rotors or propulsion units of the UAV 102, and/orother locations that can couple navigation beacons 110 to the UAV toenable selective deployment of the navigation beacons or a portion ofthe navigation beacons 110. As an example, the navigation beacons may bestored in a cargo hold and deployed from the cargo hold when one or moredoors of the cargo hold are opened to allow the navigation beacons toexit the cargo hold, and thus become uncoupled from the UAV. As usedherein, the term “coupled” includes navigation beacons stored in a cargohold, but possibly not individually secured within the cargo hold.

The UAV 102 may deploy the navigation beacons 110 in response to atrigger event. In some embodiments, the trigger event may be a loss ofreliable orientation and/or position data, possibly in combination withother data. For example, loss of orientation and/or position data, atleast momentarily, may not warrant deployment of the navigation beaconsunless other factors are present, such as the UAV's last known locationis within a threshold distance from the surface 106. When the UAV isabove the threshold distance, the UAV may delay deployment of thenavigation beacons in an attempt to obtain reliable orientation and/orposition data, at least for a threshold amount of time before deployingthe navigation beacons 110. Other trigger events and/or conditions maybe implemented to cause the UAV 102 to deploy the navigation beacons 110in appropriate situations, and refrain from deploying the navigationbeacons prematurely, and thus “wasting” use of the navigation beacons ordeploying the navigation beacons in inopportune circumstances (e.g., atan altitude that is too high to obtain reliable data from deployednavigation beacons, when orientation and/or positional data is only lostfor a brief moment, etc.).

The UAV 102 and/or the navigation beacons 110 may include features tocause the navigation beacons to disperse from the UAV about a dispersionenvelope 114, which may be defined by an angle toward the ground. Theangle may not exceed 180 degrees for practical purposes since thenavigation beacons may not include devices to cause upward lift (e.g.,flight), and thus will drop toward the ground. The angle may be between45 degrees and 90 degrees in some embodiments. The angle and size thedispersion envelope 114 may determine an area of coverage of thenavigation beacons 110 when they land on the ground and/or land on othersurfaces. To cause the navigation beacons to disperse about thedispersion envelope 114, the UAV 102 may eject the navigation beaconswith at least some lateral force (e.g., biasing device, pneumatic force,combustion force, etc.) In some embodiments, the navigation beacons mayinclude wings and/or other features that cause the beacons to travellaterally during a downward descent. For example, the navigation beacons110 may include a wing shaped similar to conifer seeds, which cause thenavigation beacons to travel laterally during at least part of adescent.

At 116, the UAV 102 may detect locations of the navigation beacons. TheUAV 102 may delay a detection for a predetermined amount of time, suchas an anticipated amount of time to allow the navigation beacons to landproximate the surface 106 or in response to a different trigger event.The different trigger event may be a termination of a signal, such as anauditory noise made by the navigation beacons during a descent (e.g.,caused by air passing over or through a feature of the navigationbeacon, etc.). Other devices, described below, may be used to create thedifferent trigger event.

The UAV 102 may determine locations of the navigation beacons based onsignals output by the navigation beacons, such as auditory signals,visual signals, and/or radio signals. The UAV 102 may determinelocations of the navigation beacons by detecting locations of thenavigation beacons by sensors, such as an array of microphones or aplurality of radio receivers, or by an imaging device. The UAV 102 mayinclude a component to perform position and orientation tracking usingSimultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithms adapted to thedetected unique three-dimensional (3D) features, which may define aresolved surface 118, which may include contours defined by algorithmsbased on unique locations of the deployed navigation beacons.

In accordance with one or more embodiments, the vehicle may performcontrol operations based on the resolved locations of the navigationbeacons, which may be mapped as a surface relative to the vehicle. Forexample, UAV may land proximate to the navigation beacons afterresolving locations of the navigation beacons as a continuous surface.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an illustrative UAV architecture 200. TheUAV architecture 200 may be used to implement the various systems,devices, and techniques discussed above. In the illustratedimplementation, the UAV architecture 200 includes one or more processors202, coupled to a non-transitory computer readable media 226 via aninput/output (I/O) interface 210. The UAV architecture 200 may alsoinclude a propeller motor controller 204, power supply module 206 and/ora navigation system 208. The UAV architecture 200 further includes aninventory engagement mechanism controller 212 to interact with an itemfor delivery, beacon devices to facilitate determination of orientationand/or location in an event of a malfunction or interruption ofnavigation or control data, a network interface 216, and one or moreinput/output devices 218.

In various implementations, the UAV architecture 200 may be implementedusing a uniprocessor system including one processor 202, or amultiprocessor system including several processors 202 (e.g., two, four,eight, or another suitable number). The processor(s) 202 may be anysuitable processor capable of executing instructions. For example, invarious implementations, the processor(s) 202 may be general-purpose orembedded processors implementing any of a variety of instruction setarchitectures (ISAs), such as the x86, PowerPC, SPARC, or MIPS ISAs, orany other suitable ISA. In multiprocessor systems, each processor(s) 202may commonly, but not necessarily, implement the same ISA.

The non-transitory computer readable media 226 may be configured tostore executable instructions/modules, data, flight paths, and/or dataitems accessible by the processor(s) 202. In various implementations,the non-transitory computer readable media 226 may be implemented usingany suitable memory technology, such as static random access memory(SRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), nonvolatile/Flash-type memory,or any other type of memory. In the illustrated implementation, programinstructions and data implementing desired functions, such as thosedescribed above, are shown stored within the non-transitory computerreadable memory. In other implementations, program instructions, dataand/or flight paths may be received, sent or stored upon different typesof computer-accessible media, such as non-transitory media, or onsimilar media separate from the non-transitory computer readable media226 or the UAV architecture 200. Generally speaking, a non-transitory,computer readable memory may include storage media or memory media suchas flash memory (e.g., solid state memory), magnetic or optical media(e.g., disk) coupled to the UAV architecture 200 via the I/O interface210. Program instructions and data stored via a non-transitory computerreadable medium may be transmitted by transmission media or signals suchas electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals, which may beconveyed via a communication medium such as a network and/or a wirelesslink, such as may be implemented via the network interface 216.

In one implementation, the I/O interface 210 may be configured tocoordinate I/O traffic between the processor(s) 202, the non-transitorycomputer readable media 226, and any peripheral devices, the networkinterface or other peripheral interfaces, such as input/output devices218. In some implementations, the I/O interface 210 may perform anynecessary protocol, timing or other data transformations to convert datasignals from one component (e.g., non-transitory computer readable media226) into a format suitable for use by another component (e.g.,processor(s) 202). In some implementations, the I/O interface 210 mayinclude support for devices attached through various types of peripheralbuses, such as a variant of the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)bus standard or the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard, for example. Insome implementations, the function of the I/O interface 210 may be splitinto two or more separate components, such as a north bridge and a southbridge, for example. Also, in some implementations, some or all of thefunctionality of the I/O interface 210, such as an interface to thenon-transitory computer readable media 226, may be incorporated directlyinto the processor(s) 202.

The propeller motor(s) controller 204 communicates with the navigationsystem 208 and adjusts the power of each propeller motor to guide theUAV along a determined flight path. The power supply module 206 maycontrol the charging and any switching functions associated with one ormore power modules (e.g., batteries) of the UAV.

The navigation system 208 may include a Global Navigation SatelliteSystem (GNSS), a GPS, or other similar system that can be used tonavigate the UAV to and/or from a location. The inventory engagementmechanism controller 212 communicates with the actuator(s) or motor(s)(e.g., a servo motor) used to engage and/or disengage inventory, such asthe item. For example, when the UAV is positioned over a level surfaceat a delivery location, the inventory engagement mechanism controller212 may provide an instruction to a motor that controls the inventoryengagement mechanism to release an item.

The network interface 216 may be configured to allow data to beexchanged between the UAV architecture 200, other devices attached to anetwork, such as other computer systems, and/or with UAV control systemsof other UAVs. For example, the network interface 216 may enablewireless communication between numerous UAVs. In variousimplementations, the network interface 216 may support communication viawireless general data networks, such as a Wi-Fi network. For example,the network interface 216 may support communication viatelecommunications networks such as cellular communication networks,satellite networks, and the like.

The input/output devices 218 may, in some implementations, includeaccelerometers and/or other input/output devices commonly used inaviation. Multiple input/output devices 218 may be present andcontrolled by the UAV architecture 200. One or more of these sensors maybe utilized to assist in landings as well as avoiding obstacles duringflight.

The beacon devices (also referred to as navigation beacons devices) mayinclude one or more beacon deployment mechanism(s) 220, navigationbeacons 222, and beacon locating sensors 224. The beacon deploymentmechanism(s) 220 may enable coupling of the navigation beacons 222 tothe UAV (possibly in a container such as a cargo hold or othercontainer). The beacon deployment mechanism(s) 220 may be configured tocause selective deployment of the navigation beacons 222, such as byuncoupling from the navigation beacons 222 or by causing actuation ofone or more doors or other devices that cause the navigation beacons 222to fall from the UAV. In some embodiments, the navigation beacons 222may be configured to release a portion of the navigation beacons in afirst deployment and a second portion of the navigation beacons 222 in asecond deployment. Multiple deployments are possible, possibly exceedingtwo deployments depending on the configuration of the beacon devices214. For example, if the navigation beacons 222 are stored in a cargohold, then multiple cargo holds or subdivisions thereof may be used whenmultiple deployments are desired. The beacon deployment mechanism(s) 220may cause deployment by imparting a force on the navigation beacons 222,such as an explosive force, a pneumatic force, a biasing force, or otherforces (stored as potential energy) to eject the navigation beacons fromthe UAV, possibly with at least some lateral force component to causethe navigation beacons to disperse about a desired surface area below orproximate to the UAV. For example, an ejection force may be generated bya CO₂ container, gun powder, or a leaf spring. In various embodiments,the beacon deployment mechanism(s) 220 may be configured to deploymultiple of the navigation beacons using a single action. For example, asingle coupling device may be actuated to cause deployment of multipleof the navigation beacons 222, such as by opening a door to a cargohold, moving a structure that secures multiple navigation beacons 222,and the like. The beacon deployment mechanism(s) 220 may receive aninput from a beacon deployment controller 230, discussed below, to causedeployment of the navigation beacons 22, or a portion thereof.

The navigation beacons 222 may be compact and relatively lightweightdevices that can be carried by the UAV during typical operations, suchas while the UAV transports an item during a delivery. In variousembodiments, the UAV may deploy as few as a single navigation beacon,which may provide some orientation information for use in control of theUAV. In some embodiments, the navigation beacons 222 may have a quantityof three or more depending on capacities of the UAV. Typically, aminimum of three locations are used to define a basic planar surface.However, additional locations provide more information about atopography of a surface, such as the ground, which may not be planar,but may include hills, valleys, and/or other features. Thus, it may bedesirable to deploy many navigation beacons 222. Additional navigationbeacons 222 may also mitigate against failure of some navigation beacons(e.g., if some land in water, fall through a gutter, fail to properlyoperate, etc.). In various embodiments, the navigation beacons 222 mayinclude a relatively flat shape, such as a general shape of a dime orother coin. However, other shapes and formfactors may be used (e.g.,cubic, spherical, pyramid, etc.), which may accommodate compact storagein or on the UAV. In some embodiments, the navigation beacons 222 mayinclude wings or other features to cause the navigation beacons to driftlaterally during freefall, and thus spread out from one another. Thenavigation beacons may output a visual signal (e.g., a light), aauditory signal (e.g., a sound), and/or a radio signal. In someembodiments, each navigation beacon may include a different signal(e.g., a different wavelength or pulses of light, a different wavelengthof sound, or a different frequency of radio waves), which may enable thevehicle to independently resolve a location of each navigation beacon.

The beacon locating sensors 224 may determine locations of thenavigation beacons 222 after the navigation beacons are deployed fromthe UAV. The beacon locating sensors 224 may generate signals thatenable triangulating a location of a beacon based on receipt of at leastone of a radio signal from the beacon or a sound emitted by the beacon.The beacon locating sensors 224 may generate signals that enableprocessing a stereo image that depicts the beacon and is used to locatethe beacon. The beacon locating sensors 224 may include at least one ofradio receivers 224(1) (or transceivers), microphones 224(2) (possiblyconfigured as a microphone array), or one or more image sensor(s)224(N). The image sensor(s) may include at least one of a stereo camera,a laser position sensing system, a thermal image sensor, quad detectorsconfigured generate images (signals) to determine location and depth offield of an object in an image. However other sensors may be used, suchas radar based technologies or other sensors that are configured todetermine a relative location of an object. The signals from the beaconlocating sensors 224 may be processed by a beacon location mappingcomponent 232 to determine locations of the beacons, and thus a relativelocation of a surface with respect to the UAV. The beacon locatingsensors 224 may determine different types of signals, such as audio andlight signals, for example.

In some embodiments, the computer readable media 226 may store theflight controller 228, the beacon deployment controller 230, and thebeacon location mapping component 232. The components may access and/orwrite data 234, which may include flight plan data, log data,destination data, image data, and object data, and so forth. The flightcontroller 228 can control the travel or flight of the UAV 104 and maycontinually or from time to time provide controls to cause change in avelocity of the UAV, a change in heading, a change in altitude, a changein orientation, and/or other changes (e.g., pitch, roll, yaw, hover,etc.).

The beacon deployment controller 230 may monitor information for atrigger event or events and cause deployment of the navigation beacons222 or a portion thereof via the beacon deployment mechanism(s) 220. Forexample, the beacon deployment controller 230 may receive system healthinformation, which may include information about malfunctions ofcomponents, sensors, or other devices of the UAV and/or unanticipatedoperation of system and/or software, possibly caused by environmentalconditions (e.g., by fog, by heavy rain, by electrical interference,etc.). In some embodiments, the beacon deployment controller 230 mayalso receive inputs such as a last known altitude or location, which maybe used in determining whether to deploy the navigation beacons 222. Forexample, the beacon deployment controller 230 may be configured torefrain from deploying the navigation beacons 222 from an altitude thatis greater than a threshold altitude. In the event of a loss of locationand/or orientation when the UAV is above the threshold altitude, thebeacon deployment controller 230 may delay deployment of the navigationbeacons 222 possibly until the UAV has descended or after an elapse oftime. The beacon deployment controller 230 may transmit a signal to thebeacon deployment mechanism(s) 220 to cause deployment of the navigationbeacons 222 or a portion thereof. When only a portion of the navigationbeacons 222 are to be deployed, the beacon deployment controller 230 mayindicate which navigation beacons to deploy.

The beacon location mapping component 232 may analyze signals from thebeacon locating sensors 224 to determine locations of the navigationbeacons 222, or a portion thereof (such as when only some navigationsbeacons are deployed while others are still capable of being deployedfrom the UAV). The beacon location mapping component 232 may uselocation determination algorithms, such as triangulation algorithms, todetermine locations of navigation beacons relative to the UAV based ondetected radio signals and/or audio signals. The beacon location mappingcomponent 232 may use location determination algorithms, such as imageanalysis algorithms, to determine locations of navigation beaconsrelative to the UAV based on stereo imagery of one or more of thenavigation beacons 222.

Once locations are determined, the beacon location mapping component 232may determine a surface defined by the locations. For example, thelocations of the navigation beacons may be determined by localizationand used for position and orientation tracking using SimultaneousLocalization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithms adapted to the detectedunique three-dimensional (3D) features. In some embodiments, the beaconlocation mapping component 232 may generate a terrain profile of asurface, such as the ground, which may indicate presence of obstacles(e.g., trees, buildings, fences, etc.) and/or features (e.g., hills,valleys, water, etc.). Some obstacles and/or features may be determinedby creating a 3D representation of the locations. However, someobstacles and/or features maybe determined based on other factors, suchas an absence of locations in an area, which may indicate a water sourcewhere navigation beacons 222 may not be able to output signals forreceipt by the beacon locating sensors 224, for example. As anotherexample, navigation beacons may fall or slide off a steep roof, againresulting in an absence of locations in an area. Ultimately, thelocations may be used to inform the flight controller 228, which may usethis information to maintain flight, to land the UAV, to fly away fromthe locations, and/or to take other appropriate actions based on inputdata received and/or other data or protocols.

In some embodiments, the beacon location mapping component 232 may onlyresolve a general location of the navigation beacons, which may berudimentary information that can be used to inform orientation andlocation of the UAV. For example, since the navigation beacons falldownward due to gravity, a sensed location after deployment will providebasic orientation information.

In various embodiments, the beacon location mapping component 232 maydetermine trajectories of at least some navigation beacons, such as whena navigation beacon deflects from a surface and changes a direct oftravel while in flight. This change in direction may indicate a presenceof an obstacle, such as a building, a fence, a tree, or another object,which may be used to inform control of the vehicle.

In various implementations, the parameter values and other dataillustrated herein as being included in one or more data stores may becombined with other information not described or may be partitioneddifferently into more, fewer, or different data structures. In someimplementations, data stores may be physically located in one memory ormay be distributed among two or more memories.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the UAV architecture 200is merely illustrative and is not intended to limit the scope of thepresent disclosure. In particular, the computing system and devices mayinclude any combination of hardware or software that can perform theindicated functions, including computers, network devices, internetappliances, PDAs, wireless phones, pagers, etc. The UAV architecture 200may also be connected to other devices that are not illustrated, orinstead may operate as a stand-alone system. In addition, thefunctionality provided by the illustrated components may in someimplementations be combined in fewer components or distributed inadditional components. Similarly, in some implementations, thefunctionality of some of the illustrated components may not be providedand/or other additional functionality may be available.

Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that, while various itemsare illustrated as being stored in memory or storage while being used,these items or portions of them may be transferred between memory andother storage devices for purposes of memory management and dataintegrity. Alternatively, in other implementations, some or all of thesoftware components may execute in memory on another device andcommunicate with the illustrated UAV architecture 200. Some or all ofthe system components or data structures may also be stored (e.g., asinstructions or structured data) on a non-transitory,computer-accessible medium or a portable article to be read by anappropriate drive, various examples of which are described above. Insome implementations, instructions stored on a computer-accessiblemedium separate from the UAV architecture 200 may be transmitted to theUAV architecture 200 via transmission media or signals such aselectrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals, conveyed via acommunication medium such as a wireless link. Various implementationsmay further include receiving, sending or storing instructions and/ordata implemented in accordance with the foregoing description upon acomputer-accessible medium. Accordingly, the techniques described hereinmay be practiced with other UAV control system configurations.

FIGS. 3-5 are flow diagrams of illustrative processes illustrated as acollection of blocks in a logical flow graph, which represent a sequenceof operations that can be implemented in hardware, software, or acombination thereof. In the context of software, the blocks representcomputer-executable instructions stored on one or more computer-readablestorage media that, when executed by one or more processors, perform therecited operations. Generally, computer-executable instructions includeroutines, programs, objects, components, data structures, and the likethat perform particular functions or implement particular abstract datatypes. The order in which the operations are described is not intendedto be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described blockscan be combined in any order and/or in parallel to implement theprocesses.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an illustrative process 300 to triggerdeployment of navigation beacons and navigate a UAV based on determinedlocations of the deployed navigation beacons. The process 300 isdescribed with reference to the process 100 and the UAV architecture 200described above. Of course, the process 300 may be performed in othersimilar and/or different environments and/or by similar or differentdevice architectures, possibly by other types of vehicles.

At 302, the beacon deployment controller 230 may monitor vehicle health.The vehicle health may be information pertaining to operation of sensorsystems and/or other systems (e.g., communication systems, etc.). Forexample, the beacon deployment controller 230 may determine failure of asensor system, such as a GPS system, magnetometer, gyroscope,accelerometer, camera, bus connecting a sensor to a processor, and/orother devices that providing inputs to a vehicle controller and/ornavigation system. As another example, the beacon deployment controller230 may determine that outputs of sensor systems or other systems areunexpected and/or fail to provide useful information as inputs to avehicle controller and/or navigation system, such as image data of fogor heavy rain, or radio signals that include static/interference.

At 304, the beacon deployment controller 230 may determine a last knownposition and/or orientation of the UAV. For example, the beacondeployment controller 230 may access a last known altitude of the UAVand may use this information, in combination with other information, todetermine whether to deploy the navigation beacons 222. As anotherexample, the beacon deployment controller 230 may determine that a lastknown position is over a body of water, which may not be a suitablelocation to deploy a navigation beacon in some instances.

At 306, the beacon deployment controller 230 may determine whether todeploy the beacons (or a portion thereof) based at least in part on theinformation from the operation 302, the information from the operation304, the information from the operations 302 and 304, and possibly otherinformation. In some embodiments, other information may include a delayof time. For example, the beacon deployment controller 230 may determinethat position and/or orientation information is unavailable and/orinaccurate, and may determine that the navigation beacons are to bedeployed. However, the beacon deployment controller 230 may determine todelay deployment until the UAV reduces altitude or until after a passageof a predetermined amount of time to increase a likelihood that thedeployed navigation beacons can be used to generate useful informationfor location and/or orientation. For example, if a last known positionis over a body of water, then the beacon deployment controller 230 maydelay deployment until the UAV travels an expected distance and islikely no longer over the body of water since some navigation beaconsmay not operate if in contact with water (e.g., due to sinking, due tomovement in the water, etc.). However some navigation beacons may bewaterproof and buoyant, and thus operate if they land in water. When thebeacon deployment controller 230 determines not to deploy the navigationbeacons (following the “no” route from the decision operation 306), thenthe process 300 may advance to the operation 302 and continueprocessing. When the beacon deployment controller 230 determines todeploy the navigation beacons (following the “yes” route from thedecision operation 306), then the process 300 may advance to theoperation 308.

At 308, the beacon deployment controller 230 may transmit a signal tothe beacon deployment mechanism(s) 220 to cause deployment of thenavigation beacons 222 or a portion of the navigation beacons 222. Forexample, the beacon deployment controller 230 may cause one or moredoors to open to allow the navigation beacons to fall out of a cargohold, or may cause ejection of the navigation beacons from the UAV asdiscussed herein. The navigation beacons deployed may be of the sametype or may include different types of navigation beacons. For example,a first portion of the navigation beacons may be configured withaerodynamic properties to enable these beacons to reach the groundrelatively quickly compared to a second portion of navigation beacons,which may be configured with dispersion features (e.g., wings, etc.) tocause the second portion of navigation beacons to disperse at leastpartially laterally from a location of deployment.

At 310, the beacon location mapping component 232 may determinelocations of the navigation beacons that have been deployed. In someembodiments, the beacon location mapping component 232 may determinethat the navigation beacons have stopped falling, such as by receivingsensor data that indicates the navigation beacons are not falling (e.g.,by lack of sound associated with freefall, possibly via a whistle), by asignal initiated by contact with another surface such as the ground,and/or using other techniques. The beacon location mapping component 232may determine locations by analyzing signals. For example, the beaconlocation mapping component 232 may use location determinationalgorithms, such as triangulation algorithms, to determine locations ofnavigation beacons relative to the UAV based on detected radio signalsand/or audio signals. The beacon location mapping component 232 may uselocation determination algorithms, such as image analysis algorithms, todetermine locations of navigation beacons relative to the UAV based onstereo imagery of one or more of the navigation beacons 222. In someembodiments, the beacon location mapping component 232 may determine asurface defined by the locations. For example, the locations of thenavigation beacons may be determined by localization and used forposition and orientation tracking using Simultaneous Localization andMapping (SLAM) algorithms adapted to the detected uniquethree-dimensional (3D) features. In some embodiments, the beaconlocation mapping component 232 may generate a terrain profile of asurface, such as the ground, which may indicate presence of obstacles(e.g., trees, buildings, fences, etc.) and/or features (e.g., hills,valleys, water, etc.). Some obstacles and/or features may be determinedby creating a 3D representation of the locations.

At 312, the flight controller 228 may use the locations determined atthe operation 310 as input to determine instructions and/or signals tooutput to the propeller motor(s) controller 204, to maneuver the UAV.The maneuver may be causing the UAV to land on a surface mapped by thelocations, to fly away from the locations, to maintain a currentlocation, deposit a package proximate to the locations, and/or toperform other operations.

In various embodiments, the UAV may charge a power source for individualnavigation beacons during operation of the UAV or prior to operation ofthe UAV. For example, the UAV may provide power to capacitors orbatteries of the individual navigation beacons, which may power thenavigation beacons after deployment. In various embodiments, thenavigation beacons may include a power source that provides power for aduration of seconds or minutes, which may provide adequate time toobtain the locations of the navigation beacons for use by the UAV fordetermining location and/or orientation.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an illustrative process 400 to deploy somenavigations beacons at a time after deployment of other navigationbeacons. The process 400 is described with reference to the process 100and the UAV architecture 200 described above. Of course, the process 400may be performed in other similar and/or different environments and/orby similar or different device architectures, possibly by other types ofvehicles.

At 402, the beacon deployment controller 230 may cause deployment of afirst portion of navigation beacons carried by the UAV. For example, thebeacon deployment controller 230 may transmit a signal to a first beacondeployment mechanism that causes deployment of the first portion ofnavigation beacons. The first beacon deployment mechanism may be a firstdoor to a first cargo hold, for example. The first beacon deploymentmechanism may be a first ejection mechanism configured to eject thefirst portion of navigation beacons, such as by uncoupling a firstrestraint that couples the first portion of navigation beacons to anexterior of the UAV, causing a pneumatic ejection, and/or causing anejection using other techniques and/or apparatuses discussed herein. Thefirst portion of navigation beacons may be used to determine a relativelocation and/or orientation of the UAV with respect to the ground or asurface below the UAV.

At 404, the beacon location mapping component 232 may determine firstlocations of the first portion of navigation beacons. For example, thefirst portion of navigation beacons may have known identifiers that canbe located independent from other portions of the navigation beacons.The beacon location mapping component 232 may determine the firstlocations and/or first terrain profile, which may enable the UAV tobegin execute maneuvers to approach an area proximate the locations ofthe first portion of the navigation beacons.

At 406, the beacon deployment mechanism 230 may determine whether todeploy a second portion of navigation beacons. For example, the beacondeployment mechanism 230 may deploy the second portion of navigationbeacons in various circumstances. A first circumstance may be that theUAV has traveled laterally and is no longer above the first locations ofthe first portion of the navigation beacons. A second circumstance maybe that the first portion of navigation beacons did not enable thebeacon location mapping component 232 to resolve complete informationfor location and/or orientation of the UAV, possibly due to failure ofsome navigation beacons, a distance from the navigation beacons, and/orfor other reasons. A third reason may be to resolve other aspects of theenvironment, such as lateral features proximate to the UAV, which may beresolved after obtaining some location and/or orientation informationusing the first portion of the navigation beacons. When no additionalnavigation beacons are to be deployed, at least temporarily (followingthe “no” route from the decision operation 406), then the process 400may delay, and continue at the decision operation 406, which may notresult in a further deployment of navigation beacons. When additionalnavigation beacons are to be deployed (following the “yes” route fromthe decision operation 406), then the process 400 may continue to anoperation 408 for further processing.

At 408, the beacon deployment controller 230 may cause deployment of anadditional portion of navigation beacons carried by the UAV. Forexample, the beacon deployment controller 230 may transmit a signal toan additional (e.g., second, etc.) beacon deployment mechanism thatcauses deployment of the additional portion of navigation beacons. Theadditional beacon deployment mechanism may be a second door to a secondcargo hold, for example. The additional beacon deployment mechanism maybe a second ejection mechanism configured to eject the additionalportion of navigation beacons, such as by uncoupling a second restraintthat couples the additional portion of navigation beacons to an exteriorof the UAV, causing a pneumatic ejection, and/or causing an ejectionusing other techniques and/or apparatuses discussed herein. Theadditional portion of navigation beacons may be used to determine arelative location and/or orientation of the UAV with respect to theground or a surface below the UAV. In some embodiments, the additionalportion of navigation beacons may be used to determine lateral features,such as object adjacent to a location of the UAV, such as a location ofa building, a fence, a tree, and/or other structures. The additionalportion of navigation beacons may be deployed in a different away thanthe first portion of navigation beacons, such as with more lateral forceto cause the additional beacons to detect interaction with objectsadjacent to the UAV.

At 410, the beacon location mapping component 232 may determineadditional locations of the additional portion of navigation beacons.For example, the additional portion of navigation beacons may have knownidentifiers that can be located independent from the first portion ofthe navigation beacons. The beacon location mapping component 232 maydetermine the additional locations and/or additional terrain profile,which may enable the UAV to begin execute maneuvers to approach an areaproximate the locations of the additional portion of the navigationbeacons. In some embodiments, the beacon location mapping component 232may determine presence of adjacent object, obstacles, and/or featuresbased on determining locations of the additional portion of navigationbeacons. For example, the first portion of navigation beacons may beused to resolve location and/or orientation of the UAV. The additionportion of the navigation beacons may be used to resolve additionalinformation, such as adjacent objects. The beacon location mappingcomponent 232 may determine a location of an adjacent object bydetermining a change in a flight trajectory of one of the additionalportion of navigation beacons, which may collide with an object andchange course of flight (e.g., bounce off a fence, bounce off abuilding, bounce off a tree, etc.).

In some embodiments, additional portions of the navigation beacons maybe available for deployment, such as a third portion, and so forth. Theadditional portions of the navigation beacons may be used for any of thepurposes discussed herein.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an illustrative process 500 of operation ofnavigation beacons deployed from a UAV. The process 500 is describedwith reference to the process 100 and the UAV architecture 200 describedabove. Of course, the process 500 may be performed in other similarand/or different environments and/or by similar or different devicearchitectures, possibly by other types of vehicles. In some embodiments,the navigation beacon may perform only some of the operations describedbelow in the process 500. The navigation beacon may be an active device(e.g., powered) or a passive device (e.g., not powered). Additionaldetails about the navigation beacon are described with reference toFIGS. 6A-6C.

At 502, a navigation beacon may be deployed from the UAV. In someembodiments, the navigation beacon may actively uncouple from the UAV,such as by uncoupling from a restraining device on the UAV. In variousembodiments, the navigation beacon may include a mechanism to assistwith ejection from the UAV, such as a biasing device that storespotential energy that enable ejection of the navigation beacon from theUAV during or after decouple of the navigation beacon from the UAV.

At 504, the navigation beacon may operate in a first mode of operation.The first mode may be during downward flight of the UAV. The first modeof operation may or may not include emitting a signal for receipt by thebeacon locating sensors 224 and for processing by the beacon locationmapping component 232. For example, the navigation beacon may operate inthe first mode to emit one of a sound, a radio signal, or a light. Insome embodiments, the navigation beacon may emit a sound using a passivedevice, such as a whistle or other sound generating device thatgenerates sound as the navigation beacon travels through air. This soundmay be received by the UAV to indicate that navigation beacon is inflight and may not be ready to provide reliable location information forgenerating location and/or orientation information for the UAV forcontrol of the UAV.

At 506, the navigation beacon may trigger operation in a second mode.The trigger may be a detected impact with a surface, such as the ground,a building, an object, or other feature. The navigation beacon mayinclude a mechanism that detects impact, which may cause a mechanicalmovement (e.g., movement of a probe or button), an electrical change(e.g., change in resistance, a short, etc.), or other mechanisms capableof detecting impact with an object or flight of the navigation beacon(e.g., a gyro sensor, an accelerometer, etc.). In some embodiments, thetrigger may be a delay of time. In various embodiments, the second modemay initiate at or immediately after deployment of the navigationbeacon, and may overlap with the operation in the first mode. Forexample, a beacon may make a sound while freefalling through air (e.g.,via a passive device), which may be the first mode, and may emit pulsesof light, which may be the second mode, during and after the freefall tothe ground.

At 508, the navigation beacon, in response to detecting the impact atthe operation 506, may begin to operate in a second mode. In someinstances, the navigation beacon may terminate the operation in thefirst mode when or after initiating operation in the second mode. Thesecond mode of operation may include the navigation beacon emitting asignal for receipt by the beacon locating sensors 224 and for processingby the beacon location mapping component 232. For example, thenavigation beacon may operate in the second mode to emit one of a sound,a radio signal, or a light. The beacon locating sensors 224 may detectthis signal, which may be processed by the beacon location mappingcomponent 232 to provide location and/or orientation information for theUAV for control of the UAV. As another example, the second mode mayindicate impact with an adjacent object, such as a building, obstacle,or feature.

FIG. 6A shows a front elevation view of an illustrative navigationbeacon 600. The navigation beacon 600 includes a housing 602, which mayprotect components during freefall and contact with a surface (e.g., theground). The housing 602 may include a compact formfactor that enablescompact and space-efficient storage of the navigation beacons by theUAV. For example, the housing 602 may be shaped like a coin with planaror nearly planar sides. The planar sides may prevent or reduce alikelihood that the navigation beacon 602 rolls after landing on asurface such as the ground. In some embodiments, the housing 602 mayinclude aerodynamic features to expedite arrival of the navigationbeacon at a surface, such as the ground. In various embodiments, thehousing 602 may include dispersion features which cause the navigationbeacon to drift or travel laterally from a location of deployment toscatter the navigation beacons about a great surface area.

The navigation beacon 600 may include a passive device 604 configuredfor detection by the beacon locating sensors 224. The passive device 604may emit sound, emit light, reflect light, and/or may emit heat, forexample. In some embodiments, the passive device 604 may be configuredto emit heat or light in response to a chemical reaction. For example,the passive device may emit heat that is detectable by a thermal imagesensor or may emit light that is detectable by an image sensor. Achemical reaction may be initiated by impact with a surface, such as toinitiate mixture of different substances after impact. In variousembodiments, the passive device 604 may generate sound based on airflowpast the passive device. In some embodiments, the passive device 604 maybe a retroreflector to reflect light back toward the beacon locatingsensors. Other passive device components may be used to transmit signalsto the beacon locating sensors 224 or enable detection of the navigationbeacons via the beacon locating sensors 224.

FIG. 6B shows a front elevation view of an illustrative navigationbeacon 600. The navigation beacon 610 includes a housing 612, which mayprotect internal components during freefall and contact with a surface(e.g., the ground). The housing 612 may include a compact formfactorthat enables compact and space-efficient storage of the navigationbeacons by the UAV. For example, the housing 612 may be shaped like acoin with planar or nearly planar sides. The planar sides may prevent orreduce a likelihood that the navigation beacon 612 rolls after landingon a surface such as the ground. The housing 612 may couple variouscomponents. In some embodiments, the housing 612 may include aerodynamicfeatures to expedite arrival of the navigation beacon at a surface, suchas the ground. In various embodiments, the housing 612 may includedispersion features which cause the navigation beacon to drift or travellaterally from a location of deployment to scatter the navigationbeacons about a great surface area.

The navigation beacon 610 may include a logic board 614 coupled to thehousing 612. The logic board 614 may be coupled to a power source 616.The power source may be a battery, a capacitor, a solar panel, achemical reaction (e.g., to generate light or power), and/or other typesof power sources. The logic board 614 may include functionality and/orhardware to emit at least one of light, radio signals, and/or sound. Forexample, when the navigation beacon 610 is configured to emit sound, thelogic board 614 may include or be coupled to a speaker. When thenavigation beacon 610 is configured to emit light, the logic board 614may include or be coupled to an light emitting diode (LED) or otherlight emitting device.

In some embodiments, the navigation beacon 610 may include a sensor 608to detect that that navigation beacon 610 is at rest and is stationary,and thus capable of providing accurate location information to the UAV.For example, the sensor 618 may be implemented as a motion sensor, abiasing sensor (e.g., a button that can be depressed or at leastpartially depressed when the navigation beacon 610 is resting on asurface, an accelerometer, and/or other types of sensors that can detectimpact or a position of the navigation beacon 610. The sensor 618 mayprovide a signal to the logic board 614. In response to receiving thesignal, the logic board 618 may initiate an operational mode or changean operational mode. For example, the navigation beacon 610 may initiatean operation mode to begin transmitting (broadcasting) a light signal, aradio signal, and/or a sound signal. The navigation beacon 610 maychange from a first operational mode to a second operational mode, wherethe second operational mode is different than the first operationalmode. The second operational mode may be at least one of transmitting) alight signal, a radio signal, and/or a sound signal.

FIG. 6C shows a front elevation view of an illustrative navigationbeacon 620. The navigation beacon 620 includes a housing 622, which mayprotect internal components during freefall and contact with a surface(e.g., the ground). The housing 622 may include a compact formfactorthat enables compact and space-efficient storage of the navigationbeacons by the UAV. For example, the housing 622 may be shaped like acoin with planar or nearly planar sides. The planar sides may prevent orreduce a likelihood that the navigation beacon 622 rolls after landing.The housing 622 may contain or couple to various components. In someembodiments, the housing 622 may include aerodynamic features toexpedite arrival of the navigation beacon at a surface, such as theground. In various embodiments, the housing 622 may include dispersionfeatures which cause the navigation beacon to drift or travel laterallyfrom a location of deployment to scatter the navigation beacons about agreat surface area.

The navigation beacon 620 may include a logic board 624 coupled to thehousing 622. The logic board 624 may be coupled to a power source 626.The power source may be a battery, a capacitor, a solar panel, achemical reaction (e.g., to generate light or power), and/or other typesof power sources. The logic board may include functionality and/orhardware to emit at least one of light, radio signals, and/or sound. Forexample, when the navigation beacon 620 is configured to emit sound, thelogic board 624 may include or be coupled to a speaker. When thenavigation beacon 620 is configured to emit light, the logic board 624may include or be coupled to an light emitting diode (LED) or otherlight emitting device. However, light may be generated by a chemicalreaction without a light emitting device.

In some embodiments, the navigation beacon 620 may include a sensor 628to detect that that navigation beacon 620 is at rest and is stationary,and thus capable of providing accurate location information to the UAV.For example, the sensor 628 may be implemented about a perimeter of thehousing 622 at least at a location likely to contact a surface after afree fall. The location may be opposite or nearly opposite a side of thehousing 622 that is coupled to a wing 630. The sensor may emit a signalupon contact with a surface, such as the ground. The sensor 628 maydetermine a change in capacitance or resistance after deformation of afirst layer of the housing 622 with respect to a second layer of thehousing (e.g., an internal layer), in response to deformation of thefirst layer from impact with the surface (e.g., the ground, etc.). Otherdevices may be used to determine impact, such as the sensors describedwith respect to the sensor 618 described with reference to FIG. 6B. Forexample, the sensor 628 may be a motion sensor, a biasing sensor (e.g.,a button that can be depressed or at least partially depressed when thenavigation beacon 620 is resting on a surface, an accelerometer, and/orother types of sensors that can detect impact or a position of thenavigation beacon 620. The sensor 628 may provide a signal to the logicboard 624. In response to receiving the signal, the logic board 628 mayinitiate an operational mode or change an operational mode. For example,the navigation beacon 620 may initiate an operation mode to begintransmitting (broadcasting) a light signal, a radio signal, and/or asound signal. The navigation beacon 620 may change from a firstoperational mode to a second operational mode, where the secondoperational mode is different than the first operational mode. Thesecond operational mode may be at least one of transmitting) a lightsignal, a radio signal, and/or a sound signal.

The wing 630 may be coupled to the housing 622 and may cause thenavigation beacon 620 to travel at least partially laterally duringfreefall from a UAV. For example, the wing 630 and housing 622 mayinclude aerodynamic features similar to a conifer seed, which causes thenavigation beacon 620 to land laterally further away from a point ofdeployment than a navigation beacon without the wing. In someembodiments, the navigation beacon 620 may include a sound generatingdevice 632, such as a whistle, which may cause a sound to be emittedduring freefall of the navigation beacon 620. The sound generatingdevice 632 may emit sound that, when received by the UAV, indicates thatthe navigation beacon 620 has not landed yet and may not yet be a validsource of location information. Once the navigation beacon 620 lands andis at rest and stationary, the sound may terminate, and the navigationbeacon may be used by the UAV for location information. For example, thefirst mode of operation may be generation of sound by the soundgenerating device 632, which may terminate when the navigation beacon620 lands on the ground or lands on a different surface.

FIG. 6D shows a front elevation view of an illustrative navigationbeacon 640. The navigation beacon 640 includes a housing 642, which mayprotect internal components during freefall and contact with a surface(e.g., the ground). The housing 642 may include a compact formfactorthat enables compact and space-efficient storage of the navigationbeacons by the UAV. For example, the housing 642 may be shaped like acoin with planar or nearly planar sides. The planar sides may prevent orreduce a likelihood that the navigation beacon 642 rolls after landing.The housing 642 may contain or couple to various components. In someembodiments, the housing 642 may include aerodynamic features toexpedite arrival of the navigation beacon at a surface, such as theground. In various embodiments, the housing 642 may include dispersionfeatures which cause the navigation beacon to drift or travel laterallyfrom a location of deployment to scatter the navigation beacons about agreat surface area.

The navigation beacon 640 may include a logic board 644 coupled to thehousing 642. The logic board 644 may be coupled to a power source 646.The power source may be a battery, a capacitor, a solar panel, achemical reaction (e.g., to generate light or power), and/or other typesof power sources. The logic board may include functionality and/orhardware to emit at least one of light, radio signals, and/or sound. Forexample, when the navigation beacon 640 is configured to emit sound, thelogic board 644 may include or be coupled to a speaker. When thenavigation beacon 640 is configured to emit light, the logic board 644may include or be coupled to an light emitting diode (LED) or otherlight emitting device. However, light may be generated by a chemicalreaction without a light emitting device.

In some embodiments, the navigation beacon 640 may include a sensor 648to detect that that navigation beacon 640 is at rest and is stationary,and thus capable of providing accurate location information to the UAV.For example, the sensor 648 may be implemented about a perimeter of thehousing 642 at least at a location likely to contact a surface after afree fall. The location may be opposite or nearly opposite a side of thehousing 642 that is coupled to a first wing 650 and a second wing 652.The sensor may emit a signal upon contact with a surface, such as theground. The sensor 648 may determine a change in capacitance orresistance after deformation of a first layer of the housing 642 withrespect to a second layer of the housing (e.g., an internal layer), inresponse to deformation of the first layer from impact with the surface(e.g., the ground, etc.). Other devices may be used to determine impact,such as the sensors described with respect to the sensor 618 describedwith reference to FIG. 6B. For example, the sensor 648 may be a motionsensor, a biasing sensor (e.g., a button that can be depressed or atleast partially depressed when the navigation beacon 640 is resting on asurface, an accelerometer, and/or other types of sensors that can detectimpact or a position of the navigation beacon 640. The sensor 648 mayprovide a signal to the logic board 644. In response to receiving thesignal, the logic board 648 may initiate an operational mode or changean operational mode. For example, the navigation beacon 640 may initiatean operation mode to begin transmitting (broadcasting) a light signal, aradio signal, and/or a sound signal. The navigation beacon 640 maychange from a first operational mode to a second operational mode, wherethe second operational mode is different than the first operationalmode. The second operational mode may be at least one of transmitting) alight signal, a radio signal, and/or a sound signal.

The first wing 650 and the second wing 652 may be coupled to the housing642 and may cause the navigation beacon 640 to travel at least partiallylaterally during freefall from a UAV. For example, the wing 650 andhousing 642 may include aerodynamic features similar to a seed of asycamore tree, which causes the navigation beacon 640 to land laterallyfurther away from a point of deployment than a navigation beacon withoutthe wing. The wings may be configured similar to a paper helicopterdesign, which cause the housing 642 to rotate about a vertical axisduring freefall, slowing freefall and allowing lateral travel due towind, for example. In some embodiments, the navigation beacon 640 mayinclude one or more sound generating device 654, such as a whistle,which may cause a sound to be emitted during freefall of the navigationbeacon 640. The sound generating device(s) 654 may emit sound that, whenreceived by the UAV, indicates that the navigation beacon 640 has notlanded yet and is not yet a valid source of location information. Oncethe navigation beacon 620 lands and is at rest and stationary, the soundmay terminate, and the navigation beacon may be used by the UAV forlocation information. For example, the first mode of operation may begeneration of sound by the sound generating device(s) 654, which mayterminate when the navigation beacon 640 lands on the ground or lands ona different surface.

FIG. 7A shows a perspective view of an illustrative UAV 700 havingnavigation beacons 702 coupled to the UAV 700. The UAV 700 may include abody (fuselage, frame, etc.) 704 and propulsion units 706 that generatelift. The propulsion units 706 may be coupled to the body 704 by members708. The UAV 700 may be formed in different configurations to enableflight. In some embodiments, the UAV 700 may include a wing to generatelift in forward flight. The UAV 700 may include one or more device tocouple to a package for transport of the package.

The UAV 700 may include coupling device 710 to couple to individualnavigation beacons of the navigation beacons 702, as shown in Detail Ain FIG. 7A. In some embodiments, one or more biasing devices 712 (e.g.,coil spring, leaf spring, etc.) may be positioned between the body 704and the navigation beacon to store potential energy when the navigationbeacon is coupled to the UAV 700, and release the potential energy toeject the navigation beacon with at least some lateral force. Thecoupling device 710 may be linked with other coupling devices to enablea single mechanism to decouple at least a portion (some, but possiblynot all) of the navigation beacons from the UAV 700. For example, amechanism may move to actuate multiple of the coupling devices to causesimultaneous decoupling of a portion or all of the navigation beacons.Although the navigation beacons 702 are shown as including at least onewing, other types of navigation beacons without wings may be coupled anddeployed in this manner.

FIG. 7B shows a perspective view of an illustrative UAV 720 havingnavigation beacons 722(1)-(N) (collectively navigation beacons 722)coupled to the UAV 720. The UAV 720 may include a body (fuselage) 724and propulsion units 726 that generate lift. The propulsion units 726may be coupled to the body 724 by members 728. The UAV 720 may be formedin different configurations to enable flight. In some embodiments, theUAV 720 may include a wing to generate lift in forward flight. The UAV720 may include one or more device to couple to a package for transportof the package.

The UAV 720 may include coupling device 710 to couple to individualnavigation beacons of the navigation beacons 722 to the member 728proximate to one of the propulsion units 726. By locating at least somenavigation beacons in this location, downward thrust from the propulsionunits 728 may assist in deployment and scatter of the navigation beaconsafter the coupling device decouples from the navigation beacons. Thecoupling device 730 may be linked with other coupling devices to enablea single mechanism to decouple at least a portion (some, but possiblynot all) of the navigation beacons from the UAV 720. For example, amechanism may move to actuate multiple of the coupling devices to causesimultaneous decoupling of a portion or all of the navigation beacons.Although the navigation beacons 702 are shown as including at least onewing, other types of navigation beacons without wings may be coupled anddeployed in this manner.

FIG. 7C shows a perspective view of an illustrative UAV 740 havingnavigation beacons 742 coupled to the UAV 740 (e.g., within a cargohold). The UAV 740 may include a body (fuselage) 744 and propulsionunits 746 that generate lift. The propulsion units 746 may be coupled tothe body 744 by members 748. The UAV 740 may be formed in differentconfigurations to enable flight. In some embodiments, the UAV 740 mayinclude a wing to generate lift in forward flight. The UAV 740 mayinclude one or more device to couple to a package for transport of thepackage.

The UAV 740 may include cargo hold 750 to couple (restrain) thenavigation beacons of the navigation beacons 742. The cargo hold 750 mayinclude one or more doors 752, which may selectively open to release andenable the navigation beacons to decouple from the UAV 740. In someembodiments, the UAV 740 may include multiple cargo holds that enabledeployment of a portion of the navigation beacons from the UAV when thecargo holds are opened at different times. Although the navigationbeacons 702 are shown as including at least one wing, other types ofnavigation beacons without wings may be coupled and deployed in thismanner.

In some embodiments, a UAV may include navigation beacons stored anddeployed using a combination of the configurations described above, suchas using a cargo hold and coupling some navigation beacons to a fuselageand/or member proximate to a propulsion unit. Such arrangement mayenable separate deployment of different portions of the navigationbeacons.

FIG. 8 is a pictorial flow diagram of an illustrative process 800 todeploy additional navigation beacons after an initial deployment of somenavigation beacons from a UAV 802.

At 804, the UAV 802 may detect a fault that prevents the UAV fromaccurately resolving a location or orientation of the UAV 802, such aswith reference to a surface 805 (e.g., the ground, a structure, etc.).The fault may be a malfunction of a sensor or communication mechanismassociated with the sensor. The fault may be based on environmentalconditions, which prevent the sensor from providing useful data for theUAV 802 to resolve a position and/or orientation. For example, if theUAV relies on images from a stereo camera to resolve a position of theground relative to the UAV, then heavy fog, heavy rain, or possiblycomplete darkness may prevent the UAV from detecting the ground based ona type of sensor used and/or other factors. In this example, the sensor(e.g., the stereo camera) may be working properly, but the received datamay not be useful for the UAV 802 to resolve a position and/ororientation. At 804, the UAV 802 may deploy first navigation beacons 806from the UAV 802, such as from a repository of the UAV 802. Therepository may be a cargo hold (bay), locations external to a fuselageor body of the UAV, locations proximate to rotors or propulsion units ofthe UAV 802, and/or other locations that can couple the first navigationbeacons 806 to the UAV to enable selective deployment of the firstnavigation beacons 806, which may be a portion of all navigationbeacons. As an example, the first navigation beacons 806 may be storedin a cargo hold and deployed from the cargo hold when one or more doorsof the cargo hold are opened to allow the first navigation beacons 806to exit the cargo hold, and thus become uncoupled from the UAV 802. Thefirst navigation beacons 806 may be a portion of the navigation beaconstransported by the UAV 802, which may also include a second navigationbeacons 808, which may not be deployed at this time.

The UAV 802 may deploy the first navigation beacons 806 in response to atrigger event. In some embodiments, the trigger event may be a loss ofreliable orientation and/or position data, possibly in combination withother data. For example, loss of orientation and/or position data, atleast momentarily, may not warrant deployment of the navigation beaconsunless the UAV's last known location is within a threshold distance fromthe surface 805. When the UAV 802 is above the threshold distance, theUAV may delay deployment of the navigation beacons in an attempt toobtain reliable orientation and/or position data, at least for athreshold amount of time before deploying the first navigation beacons806. Other trigger events and/or conditions may be implemented to causethe UAV 802 to deploy the first navigation beacons 806 in appropriatesituations, and refrain from deploying the navigation beaconsprematurely, and thus “wasting” use of the navigation beacons ordeploying the navigation beacons in inopportune circumstances (e.g., atan altitude that is too high, when orientation and/or positional data isonly lost for a brief moment, etc.).

The UAV 802 and/or the first navigation beacons 806 may include featuresto cause the navigation beacons to disperse from the UAV about adispersion envelope 810, which may be defined by an angle toward theground. The angle may not exceed 180 degrees for practical purposessince the navigation beacons may not include devices to cause upwardlift (e.g., flight), and thus will drop toward the ground. The angle maybe between 45 degrees and 90 degrees in some embodiments. The angle andsize the dispersion envelope 810 may determine an area of coverage ofthe first navigation beacons 806 when they land on the ground and/orland on other surfaces. To cause the navigation beacons to disperseabout the dispersion envelope 810, the UAV 802 may eject the navigationbeacons with at least some lateral force (e.g., biasing device,pneumatic force, combustion force, etc.) In some embodiments, thenavigation beacons may include wings and/or other features that causethe beacons to travel laterally during a downward descent. For example,the first navigation beacons 806 may include a wing shaped similar toconifer seeds, which cause the navigation beacons to travel laterallyduring at least part of a descent.

At 812, the UAV 802 may detect locations of the navigation beacons. TheUAV 802 may delay a detection for a predetermined amount of time, suchas an anticipated amount of time to allow the navigation beacons to landproximate the surface 805 or in response to a different trigger event(e.g., termination of a sound from a sound generating device, activationof a sensor (e.g., the sensor 608 shown in FIG. 6A), etc. Other devices,described below, may be used to create the different trigger event.

The UAV 802 may determine locations of the first navigation beacons 806based on signals output by the navigation beacons, such as auditorysignals, visual signals, and/or radio signals. The UAV 802 may determinelocations of the first navigation beacons 806 by detecting locations ofthe navigation beacons by sensors, such as an array of microphones orradio receivers, or by an imaging device. The UAV 802 may include acomponent to perform position and orientation tracking usingSimultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithms adapted to thedetected unique three-dimensional (3D) features, which may define aresolved surface 814, which may include contours defined by algorithmsbased on unique locations of the first navigation beacons 806.

At 816, after resolving location and/or orientation of the UAV, the UAVmay deploy the second navigation beacons 808 from the UAV 802. Thesecond navigation beacons 808 may be ejected from the UAV having alateral force to enable the second beacons to travel laterally outsideof the dispersion envelope 810 associated with deployment of the firstnavigation beacons 806. The UAV 802 may track location and flight of thesecond navigation beacons 808, to determine presence and/or locations ofadjacent objects, structures, obstacles, buildings, and/or otherfeatures. For example, the UAV may determine a change in direction ofone of the second beacons, and may determine based on this change indirection that a surface may be present at the location of the change indirection, which caused the navigation beacon to deflect and changedirection. Other location information may be determined by the secondnavigation beacons 808. In some embodiments, the second navigationbeacons 808 may be used for a same purpose as the first navigationbeacons 806, but at a different location, and thus result in mapping adifferent area of the ground or another surface.

In accordance with one or more embodiments, the vehicle may performcontrol operations based on the resolved locations of the navigationbeacons, which may be mapped as a surface relative to the vehicle. Forexample, UAV may land proximate to the navigation beacons afterresolving locations of the navigation beacons as a continuous surface.

CONCLUSION

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific tostructural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understoodthat the subject matter defined in the appended claims is notnecessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather,the specific features and acts are disclosed as illustrative forms ofimplementing the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: determining one or moreoperating characteristics of a vehicle, the one or more operatingcharacteristics indicating at least one of an undetected position or anundetected orientation of the vehicle that is based at least in part onone or more sensors of the vehicle; determining a last known position ofthe vehicle; causing, based at least in part on at least one of the oneor more operating characteristics or the last known position of thevehicle, one or more beacons to be deployed; determining a location of abeacon of the one or more beacons; and causing, based at least in parton the location of the beacon, the vehicle to perform a maneuver.
 2. Themethod as recited in claim 1, wherein causing the one or more beacons tobe deployed comprises transmitting, to the one or more beacons, a signalto deploy.
 3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or moreoperating characteristics include a first operation of one or moresensor systems of the vehicle, including the one or more sensors, and asecond operation of one or more communication systems of the vehicle,the one or more sensor systems including at least one of a GlobalPositioning System (GPS) sensor, a magnetometer, a gyroscope, anaccelerometer, or a camera.
 4. The method as recited in claim 1, whereinthe one or more operating characteristics correspond to one or moreoutputs of one or more components of the vehicle that have outputteddata that is different than expected data.
 5. The method as recited inclaim 1, wherein determining the last known position of the vehiclecomprises at least one of determining a last known orientation of thevehicle, determining a last known altitude of the vehicle, ordetermining that the last known position of the vehicle is over aspecified object or location.
 6. The method as recited in claim 1,further comprising: determining, at a first time, that the last knownposition of the vehicle is inaccurate or is over a body of water; andcausing, based at least in part on the last known position of thevehicle being inaccurate or being over a body of water, the one or morebeacons to be deployed at a second time that is a predetermined amountof time after the first time.
 7. The method as recited in claim 1,wherein causing the one or more beacons to be deployed comprises:causing one or more doors of the vehicle to open to allow the one ormore beacons to exit from a cargo hold of the vehicle; or causing theone or more beacons to be ejected from the vehicle.
 8. The method asrecited in claim 1, wherein determining the location of the beaconcomprises at least one of: determining that the beacon has stoppedmoving based at least in part on sensor data indicating that the beaconhas stopped falling or a signal indicating that the beacon has contacteda surface; using a location determination algorithm to determine thelocation of the beacon relative to the vehicle; or applying an imageanalysis algorithm to stereo imagery associated with the beacon todetermine the location of the beacon relative to the vehicle.
 9. Themethod as recited in claim 1, wherein causing the vehicle to perform themaneuver comprises at least one of: causing the vehicle to land on asurface associated with the location of the beacon; causing the vehicleto move away from the location of the beacon; causing the vehicle tomaintain a current location of the vehicle; or causing the vehicle todeposit a package proximate to the location of the beacon.
 10. A methodcomprising: causing, at a first time, a first beacon to be deployed;determining, after the first beacon has been deployed and based at leastin part on the first beacon, a first current location of the firstbeacon; determining, based at least in part on the first currentlocation of the first beacon, that a second beacon is to be deployed;causing, at a second time that is subsequent to the first time, thesecond beacon to be deployed; and determining, after the second beaconhas been deployed and based at least in part on the second beacon, asecond current location of the second beacon, wherein the first beaconand the second beacon are deployed by a vehicle, and wherein the firstbeacon emits a first signal that is detectable by the vehicle and thesecond beacon emits a second signal, different than the first signal,that is detectable by the vehicle.
 11. The method as recited in claim10, further comprising: determining one or more first attributes of anenvironment associated with the first beacon, wherein the one or morefirst attributes include a terrain profile associated with the firstcurrent location of the beacon; and causing, based at least in part onthe terrain profile, the vehicle to begin executing one or moremaneuvers to approach, remain stationary, or move away from an areaproximate to the first current location of the first beacon.
 12. Themethod as recited in claim 10, wherein determining that the secondbeacon is to be deployed is based at least in part on at least one of:determining that the vehicle has travelled laterally and is no longerover the first current location of the first beacon; determining thatthe first beacon was unable to output data indicating a third locationor an orientation of the vehicle; or determining, based at least in parton the first current location of the first beacon, whether one or morelateral features proximate to the vehicle have been resolved.
 13. Themethod as recited in claim 10, wherein: the first beacon is deployed viaa first door of the vehicle or via a first ejection mechanism of thevehicle; and the second beacon is deployed via a second door of thevehicle or via a second ejection mechanism of the vehicle.
 14. Themethod as recited in claim 10, further comprising: determining, based atleast in part on the second beacon, one or more attributes of anenvironment associated with the second beacon; determining at least oneof a third location of the vehicle or an orientation of the vehiclebased at least in part on the second current location of the secondbeacon; and causing, based at least in part on the at least one of thethird location of the vehicle or the orientation of the vehicle, thevehicle to perform one or more maneuvers within the environment.
 15. Amethod comprising: determining at least one of an undetected position oran undetected orientation of a vehicle that is based at least in part onone or more sensors of the vehicle; causing, based at least in part onthe at least one of the undetected position or the undetectedorientation of the vehicle, a first beacon to be deployed; determining alocation of the first beacon; determining at least one of one or moreoperating characteristics of the vehicle or a last known position of thevehicle; and at least one of: causing, based at least in part on thelocation of the first beacon and at least one of the one or moreoperating characteristics or the last known position of the vehicle, thevehicle to perform a maneuver; or causing, based at least in part on thelocation of the first beacon and at least one of the one or moreoperating characteristics or the last known position of the vehicle, asecond beacon that is different than the first beacon to be deployed.16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising causing thefirst beacon to be deployed based at least in part on at least one ofthe one or more operating characteristics or the last known position ofthe vehicle.
 17. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:determining one or more attributes of an environment associated with thefirst beacon; and determining, based at least in part on at least one ofthe location of the first beacon or the one or more attributes, that thesecond beacon is to be deployed.
 18. The method as recited in claim 15,further comprising: determining, based at least in part on the secondbeacon, at least one of a second location of the second beacon or one ormore attributes of an environment associated with the second beacon; andcausing, based at least in part on the at least one of the secondlocation of the second beacon or the one or more attributes, the vehicleto perform a second maneuver within the environment.
 19. The method asrecited in claim 10, further comprising: determining, based at least inpart on the first current location of the first beacon, a first mappingof a first surface in which the first beacon is situated; anddetermining, based at least in part on the second current location ofthe second beacon, a second mapping of the first surface or a secondsurface in which the second beacon is situated.
 20. The method asrecited in claim 10, further comprising: determining at least one of anundetected position or an undetected orientation of the vehicle that isbased at least in part on one or more sensors of the vehicle; andcausing, at the first time and based at least in part on the at leastone of the undetected position or the undetected orientation of thevehicle, the first beacon to be deployed.